Clasp.



C. G. ROLFSON.

CLASP,

APPLICATION FILED. QCT. 3; 1914.

l 1 88,326. Patented une 20, 1916.

3mm/hoz THE COLUMNA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNHFED STATES PAT CFFICE.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 20, 1916,

Application led October 3, 1914. Serial No. 864,834.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES G. RoLrsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Barbara, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is' a specification.

This invention relates to clasps or fastenings for shoes and the like, and it has for its object to produce a simple and effective fastening whereby the use of ordinary buttons or lacing will be dispensed with.

A further object of the invention is to produce a Simple and effective clasp or fastening device, the members of which will not be liable to become separated unless properly actuated for the purpose of disassembling the same.

With these and other ends inl View which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the samev consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claim may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a perspective View of a shoe equipped with the 1mproved fastening devices constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing the members of the fastening device separated from the shoe. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail View taken on the line 3--3 in Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The improved fastening device comprises two members A, B, one of said members having a keyhole slot 15, and the other member having a stud 16 adapted to engage said slot. The member A having the keyhole slot is provided with a shoulder or offset 16 intermediate the ends thereof, and

each of said members also has an upturned resilient tongue 17 overlying the keyhole slot and serving in a measure to obstruct the engagement with said slot of a stud 16.

By exerting proper pressure against the Atongue 17, the latter will be sufficiently disnecting medium between said members. The

strip A as clearly seen in Fig. 2, may be curved in the direction of its length to fit the contour of an ankle. In like manner two studs 16 may be secured adjacent to the ends of a similarly curved strip B for engagement with the keyhole slots of the members A that are joined together by the strip A.

l In practice, the two strips A and B are secured by sewing, riveting or in any convenient manner to the sides of the upper of a shoe, as seen in Fig. l, the strips being preferably interposed between the top and the lining. The offsets 16 of the members A are of a height substantially equal to the thickness of the material of which the upper is formed, thus causing the portion of the member A having the keyhole slot to lie flush on tlie top of the shoe upper when the shoe is fastened. When the studs at the ends of the strip B are engaged with the keyhole slots of the members A'at the ends of the strip A the sides of the upper will be closely united throughout the greater portion of the length thereof. Additional fastening members A and B may be positioned adjacent to the top edge of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will, be seen from the foregoing that I have produced an extremely simple and efficient shoe fastening device which cannot be lost or become easily detached from the shoe, and whereby the annoyance of manipulating a large number of buttons or the ordinary lacing devices will be dispensed with. The devices may be simply and inexpensively manufactured from sheet steel or other sheet metal suitable for the purpose.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

A fastening device comprising two members, one of said members consisting of an approximately U-shaped piece of metal in-V cluding a bridge piece and arms extending substantially at right angles to said bridge piece at the ends thereof, each arm having @emes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the headed studs adapted for engagement with the key-hole slots.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES Gr. ROLFSON. Witnesses:

E. G. HAYWARD, FRIEDA HAYWARD.

"Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

